Adoption

I feel lost.
Those were the words I scrawled into my journal years ago. When infertility and struggling friendships and a new church were all leaving me aching and empty.
I felt unknown.
Who was this girl who couldn’t bear the children she dreamed of? Who was this girl who struggled through friendships? Who was this girl who went to church and cowered in the corner?
I didn’t know her, … [Read more...] about where to go when you feel lost

I almost felt irritated the first time I heard my mom pray it.
It wouldn't be until years later that I realized she was just agreeing with Scripture. But that night I lay there, listening to the words as they rested heavy on me. I shrugged and drifted off to sleep, wondering if God would answer her.
The prayer was simple and heartfelt. "Lord, don't allow my daughter to keep any sin hidden. … [Read more...] about One Thing You Need to be Praying Over Your Kids

Being an adoptive parent has been one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. It's also one of the hardest.
I have been abundantly blessed by having many pioneers in adoption, attachment, and special needs who have gone before me and have willingly given their advice, suggestions, and exuberant encouragement.
Still, with all of that, there are times when this feels … [Read more...] about the best books for Christian adoptive parents

I miscarried that October.
I had known for two days that the tests were positive, that two years of infertility had brought us to a baby coming with the summer warmth.
And then I was curled on the bathroom floor with blood smeared on my legs and my heart so empty and hollow I felt like maybe I had died too.
Winter came to more than the countryside that year. It settled in my heart as … [Read more...] about when stories deepen

He stayed in his room for the whole day.
He didn’t have to! Good grief, of course not. He could have walked up the stairs at any point, looked at his dad and apologized for disobeying, then sat right down at the table.
There was a meal set for him. It was one of his favorites, piled up on his plate at his place at the table.
There were warm arms waiting to scoop him up and kiss his nose … [Read more...] about Are you a slave, a son, or a spoiled child?

I was standing beside my daughter today when I noticed the scar.
I had just been commenting on the fact that she's getting taller, stretching toward adulthood way too fast for me. When a child's first birthday in your home is their 9th, the years of "little" are very few.
And there was the scar, near the top of her head. It's thick and white and is usually covered by her hair, but I see it … [Read more...] about The Lost Childhood